1. Field of the Invention.
The invention relates to the handling of bowling balls, and in particular to an apparatus adapted for removing a bowling ball from the pit behind a bowling alley and lifting the ball along a track to an elevated point of discharge for return via a bowling ball runway to the approach end of the bowling lane.
2. Description of Related Art.
A conventional bowling pin and ball handling apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,297,322. This type of apparatus has found widespread use in commercial bowling establishments and includes mechanisms for retreiving both pins and bowling balls from pits behind the bowling alleys, for spotting the pins, and for returning the balls to bowlers at the approach ends of the alleys.
Balls leave the pits via openings or doors provided in kickbacks of the bowling alleys. Upon leaving a pit, the ball to be returned moves into the range of operation of a bowling ball lifting or elevating mechanism, such as an endless belt and track combination, which lifts the ball to a runway or return race. The runway is inclined so that the ball rolls down the incline towards the approach end of the lane, where the ball is braked and lifted up to a level at which the bowler can conveniently reach it.
The conventional ball elevating mechanism includes a frame and an endless conveyor belt running between two pulleys mounted on a supporting member. The supporting member is itself supported by levers and can swing upwardly and away from the track to provide clearance between the belt and the track. In order to cause initial engagement of the ball by the conveyor belt once the ball has arrived in the vicinity of the belt and the belt is in a lifting position, kicker rollers are required to lift the ball into a position in which it may be engaged by the belt.
When the ball elevating mechanism is shared by two alleys, a mechanism is necessary for preventing balls from moving through the openings from the pits simultaneously. The conventional ball handling apparatus uses a paddle which is pivotal between openings to permit only one ball at a time from entering the elevator, and to prevent pins from entering.
In order to operate properly, the ball handling mechanism must be arranged to compensate for balls having weights generally ranging from ten to sixteen pounds, while rejecting stray pins, which weigh less than four pounds. As a result, the paddle drive and kicker rollers require pressure sensitive mechanisms, each of which must fit into a space approximately the width of the bowling ball.
While such mechanisms have proven to be remarkably effective, the mechanisms involved are nevertheless relatively complicated and therefore, inevitably, a source of mechanical breakdowns. Because of the limited space available between alleys, and the complexity and large number of parts used in such devices, repairs can be difficult and the time required to effect repairs may significantly reduce the amount of time an alley is available for bowling.